The Bishops Are Beginning To Reclaim The Narrative

Posters like the one above were all the rage in student apartments after Humanae Vitae in 1968 -- I have clear memories from that time. In an era of anti-authoritarian rage, the Catholic Church was having difficulty making its case at all. Nixon's Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz, made news at the 1974 World Food Conference in Rome by joking, "He no playa the game, he no maka the rules." Although Cardinal Cooke demanded an apology, the Church was clearly on the defensive. A generation later, it was hit by the pedophilia scandal.

For whatever reason, this marked a roughly 50-year period in which the Church had little control over its public narrative. It's notable that over the past year or so, the Church is regaining its public voice via its bishops, something that had been envisioned in Lumen Gentium. The Church took a lead in filing lawsuits against COVID lockdowns that specifically limited worship in 2020. The decison by the US bishops to draft a teaching document that would clarify the relationship between eligibility for communion and politicians who claim to be Catholic but advocate policies against Church teaching is a major step.

Indeed, I don't think public ridicule like the Paul VI poster would gain the same traction in the current environment. Instead, we now see Abp Cordileone issuing a strong and insightful reply to Democrat House members who object to the bishops' vote:

The history of Catholic immigrants to the United States and their descendants is exemplary of the American dream, and intertwined with the Democratic party. I myself am a typical example of this Catholic Democratic legacy. My grandparents were immigrants, arriving here dirt-poor from Sicily. My father grew up in his father’s trade and was a commercial fisherman; my maternal grandfather was a cement mason. They were classic working-class people. Both of my parents were registered Democrats—New Deal Democrats—their whole lives. What the Democratic party, with its vital support for labor unions, brought to our country at the time helped my family survive and thrive, and made possible even greater opportunities for my siblings, my cousins, and myself.

It was a bit disconcerting, then, when on June 18, sixty Democratic members of Congress, all Catholics, issued a significant “Statement of Principles” in response to a decision by U.S. Catholic bishops to develop a teaching document on the nature of the Eucharist and its proper reception. In their statement, the members of Congress argue that “the Sacrament of Holy Communion is central to the life of practicing Catholics, and the weaponization of the Eucharist to Democratic lawmakers for their support of a woman’s safe and legal access to abortion is contradictory.” They go on to “solemnly urge” the bishops “to not move forward and deny [lawmakers] this most holy of all sacraments” over one issue.

The statement raises many troubling questions. While I speak only for myself in this column, the public nature of the statement invites a public response and provides an excellent opportunity for candid dialogue. In that spirit, allow me to begin the dialogue. . .

Abp Cordileone isn't alone. Abp Gómez issued a pastoral letter that was read from the pulpit at mass this week declaring a jubilee year to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of Mission San Gabriel near Los Angeles, cited Pope Francis's view that St Junipero Serra is “one of the founding fathers of the United States”, and made it plain that the Church Serra brought to Los Angeles and California will continue in the public dialogue. In his June 16 address tp the USCCB, he said,

We have been living through some extraordinary times. We’ve seen a pandemic shut down our civilization, including the Church, for more than a year. We’ve lived through riots in our major cities, rising social divisions and unrest, and maybe the most polarized election our country has ever seen.

. . . There are forces at work right now in our culture that threaten not only the unity of the human family, but also the very truth about God’s creation and human nature.

Our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has said, “This is the age of sin against God the Creator.”

Pope Francis has stressed the truth of these words and said, “The problem is worldwide! The exploitation of creation, and the exploitation of persons. We are experiencing a moment of the annihilation of man as the image of God.”

. . . May [Mary] help us to keep our hearts humble and united in the service of Jesus, as we seek to continue the evangelization of our country and our continent in this moment.

In his address, he makes the point that the Church can't think exclusively in poliical terms, but it must engage in the public dialogue. I don't think I've seen a public stance like this, at least in my adult life. The Church has finally begun to leave the defensive and take the initiative. I think Bp Barron's campaign to reinvigorate the actual texts and intent of the Vatican II documents, as well as Pope Francis's clear stance against pre-Conciliarism, are another part of this development.